Murdaugh murders: Maggie’s phone found near hunting estate day after she and son Paul were killed
ISLANDTON, SOUTH CAROLINA: In a shocking twist in the mysterious double murder case of Paul and Maggie Murdaugh, sources familiar with the investigation have said the latter's phone was found a day after the tragedy. Paul and his 52-year-old mother were shot dead on June 7 night at their hunting estate in Islandton, known locally as Moselle. Though the 22-year-old’s cell phone was found the same night near his body, his mother’s phone could not be found.
However, now sources -- who are not officially permitted to release details about the case -- claim that on June 8, Maggie’s phone was found on the road outside the 1,700-acre hunting estate. The reported discovery was made after a family member used his phone’s ability to “ping” Maggie’s phone and detected it on his digital cell phone map. The phone was then recovered and handed over to South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED). However, it’s not clear whether investigators were able to find any touch DNA or fingerprints from it. Insiders added that on June 7 night, after the double murder, it rained and there is a possibility that any evidence on the cell phone may have washed away.
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On Wednesday, June 23, when SLED spokesperson Tommy Crosby was reportedly asked about Maggie's cell phone. But he declined to comment and said, “I will have to refer back to our original statement that it is inappropriate to comment on the specifics of the case while we have an active investigation.” The new finding has added another layer of mystery to the already complicated case.
Weeks have passed since Paul and Maggie were killed, but no concrete progress has been made in the investigations so far. To date, investigators have reportedly failed to find a suspect as well as the motive behind the murders. Also, it’s not clear yet if there was one killer or more than one suspect. Earlier, it was reported that Paul’s father and Maggie’s husband Richard Alexander "Alex" Murdaugh was the one to find the bodies. He found the two bodies a few yards away from each other.
Reportedly, Alex had initially told authorities that he was out hunting when the killings happened. However, a new report alleged that the day when Paul and Maggie died, Alex took his father Randolph Murdaugh III to a hospital. It was also said that Alex also visited his mother before returning to the hunting estate. Reports said this could be the “ironclad” alibi Alex allegedly gave authorities.
Some reports even alleged that Alex was the “person of interest” in the case. But his younger brothers -- John Marvin Murdaugh and Randolph "Randy" Murdaugh IV -- defended him last week. “My brother loved Maggie and loved Paul like nothing else on this earth, just like he loves Buster. So there's no possible way he could have anything to do with this, I can assure you,” Randy said and John added: “I can tell you he was willing and still is willing to do anything that's asked of him. He wants this solved.”